People-to-people diplomacy builds lasting bonds

Summary

President Xi Jinping has strengthened ties with friends worldwide through letters and face-to-face exchanges. For three consecutive years, he has exchanged Chinese New Year greetings with friends from the US state of Iowa, and recalled his 1985 visit to Muscatine and stay at 2911 Bonnie Avenue during a speech at a dinner in San Francisco. In 2014, he made a special trip to visit the family of Jim Bacon, late former premier of Tasmania, fulfilling a promise.

In 2026, as China and Laos celebrate 65 years of diplomatic relations, Xi met his old classmate Soumma Bounsena, who described Xi as a true friend marked by genuine affection and loyalty. Xi emphasised that people-to-people friendship underpins the stable, long-term development of international relations, and that these individual bonds converge into a powerful force for building a shared future for mankind.

Commentary

President Xi Jinping's longstanding personal friendships across different sectors underscore the credibility and consistency of Chinese diplomacy, adding a layer of stability to ties with New Zealand. For New Zealand SMEs, this reduces concerns about export policy risk: under the upgraded New Zealand-China FTA, tariffs on dairy, meat and other goods are steadily falling, giving firms greater confidence in long-term planning. Meanwhile, Belt and Road infrastructure projects such as the China-Laos Railway are opening new overland trade routes through Southeast Asia, potentially allowing New Zealand products to reach China's southwestern markets more efficiently.

In this friendly environment, businesses that actively engage in people-to-people exchanges and build brand trust can find practical entry points into China's second- and third-tier city markets.

Keywords: Xi Jinping, head-of-state diplomacy, people-to-people friendship, China-foreign friendship, Iowa, Tasmania, China-Laos Railway, people-to-people exchanges

Summary in Chinese | 摘要

习近平主席通过复信与见面，深化与多国友人友谊。他连续三年与美国艾奥瓦州友人互致新春祝福，并在旧金山宴会回忆1985年访问马斯卡廷时住在邦尼街2911号的经历。2014年，他专程探望已故塔斯马尼亚州前州长培根家人，兑现承诺。

2026年中老建交65周年，习近平主席与老同学宋玛·奔舍那会面，宋玛称习近平是重情重义的真朋友。习近平主席指出，人民友好是国际关系行稳致远的基础，正是人民友好的涓涓细流汇聚成推动构建人类命运共同体的磅礴力量。

Commentary in Chinese | 评论

习近平主席与各国友人的长久情谊，折射出中国外交重信守诺的风格，为中新经贸关系注入稳定性。对 NZ SME 而言，这意味着出口政策风险可控——中新自贸协定升级后，乳制品、肉类等关税逐年降低，长期规划更有底气。同时，中老铁路等“一带一路”项目正打通东南亚陆路动脉，未来新西兰商品或可经此更高效地进入中国西南市场。

在友好氛围下，企业主动参与人文交流、建立品牌信任，将是打开中国二三线城市渠道的务实切入口。

关键词: 习近平, 元首外交, 人民友好, 中外友谊, 艾奥瓦州, 塔斯马尼亚, 中老铁路, 民间交往

Source: Xinhua News